Fact check is the process of verifying a claim and assessing its truthfulness. It is a critical component of journalism, social media, and civic engagement in a world where misinformation is often spread quickly.

In addition to analyzing evidence, fact-checking involves checking the accuracy of sources and evaluating how trustworthy a source is. Fact-checking can also include determining whether a claim is original and identifying how it was created (e.g., calling sources, consulting public data, authenticating photos and videos).

To create our dataset, we compiled lists of all the claims made by each of four major fact-checking organizations: Snopes, PolitiFact, FullFact, and Logically. Each organization was selected based on its size and reputation, as well as their methods of fact-checking (human-based analysis to AI). We then used ClaimReview structured data to mark up all the claims from each of these sources.

This data was then analyzed to look for patterns in how the sites assessed each claim. We found that the majority of claims were rated as false by all four sources. This indicates that there is high consistency in how these four organizations evaluate a statement’s accuracy, which is important for credibility.

The findings of this research can help guide fact-checking efforts and encourage greater consistency amongst major fact-checkers in order to combat the growing threat of misinformation. However, it is important to note that a large gap exists between how much priority different fact-checkers place on verifying and affirming truth claims. This may explain why some statements do not appear to be corrected by fact-checking, despite the efforts of multiple organizations.